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TO ROUTINE FCO
TELNO 1085
OF 120455Z APRIL 86
RESTRICTED
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INFO ROUTINE SINGAPORE, MANILA, UKMIS GENEVA, BONN, PAR IS
CR 14/4
MERCY SHIPS
YOU WILL BE AWARE THAT A GERMAN MERCY SHIP, THE REGINE, HAS BEEN
OPERATING OUT OF SINGAPORE IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA FOR THE LAST TWO MONTHS. WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT HAS RETURNED TO SINGAPORE WITH APPROXIMATELY 330 REFUGEES ON BOARD. THE SINGAPORE AUTHORITIES HAVE REFUSED IT PERMISSION TO DISEMBARK THE REFUGEES UNDER ANY CONDITIONS. WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT WILL SAIL ON 12 APRIL FOR PALAWAN (PHILIPPINES) WHERE IT HOPES TO DISEMBARK APPROXIMATELY 150 REFUGEES. IT IS NOT (NOT) CLEAR WHETHER THIS WILL BE PERMITTED
BY THE PHILIPPINE AUTHORITIES.
2. TWO GERMAN STATES HAVE PLEDGED 150 PLACES FOR THOSE RESCUED
BY THE MERCY SHIP. NO-ONE SEEMS TO KNOW HOW THESE 150 WILL BE SELECTED FROM THE 330 ON BOARD, OR WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE
REMAINING 180.
3. WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT ANOTHER FRENCH MERCY SHIP PLANS TO OPERATE IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA IN THE LATTER HALF OF THIS YEAR
(PROBABLY OCTOBER).
4. AS YOU ARE AWARE THE OPERATIONS OF MERCY SHIPS CREATE MANY
PROBLEMS -
(A) THEY STIMULATE DEPARTURES FROM WIETNAM:
(B) THEY RESULT IN DEATHS (BECAUSE REFUGEES LEAVE IN BOATS ILL- EQUIPPED FOR ANYTHING MORE THAN A SHOPT JOURNEY TO THE RESCUE SHIP AND, WHEN IT LEAVES, SOME OF THESE BOATS PERISH):
(C) THEY REDUCE THE POOL OF RESETTLEMENT PLACES AVAILABLE FOR GENUINE REFUGEES WHO ARE ALREADY IN CAMPS IN THE REGION: AND
(D) THEY POSE PROBLEMS FOR THE FIRST ASYLUM PLACES IN THE REGION, BECAUSE THE MERCY SHIPS DUMP THOSE RESCUED IN ONE OF THE
COASTAL STATES.
5. IN THE CASE OF THE GERMAN MERCY SHIP, REGINE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT ONCE IT HAS DISEMBARKED ITS REFUGEES IT PROPOSES TO TURN
AROUND AND GO BACK INTO THE SOUTH CHINA SEA TO PICK UP MORE.
RESTRICTED
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2 1 APR 1986
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